


Upon Reflection

by mimsical



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Communication, Enjolras Has Feelings, Getting Together, M/M, One Night Stands, enjolras angsting endlessly about Things, so sorry courfeyrac that you had to put up with it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-09
Updated: 2016-05-09
Packaged: 2018-06-07 07:53:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6795613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mimsical/pseuds/mimsical
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"In the morning," he said, "I asked if we could pretend it hadn't happened. And he said, 'If that's what you want.'"</p>
<p>"Oh, Enjolras," Courfeyrac said. "Is that what you want?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Upon Reflection

**Author's Note:**

> ok warning - this starts in medias res, aka in the middle of the scene.

"Why not?" Courfeyrac asked patiently. "Why not just ask someone out just to test the waters?"

Enjolras shut his eyes and pulled his feet in closer on the couch. "I burned a lot of those bridges." He paused as Courfeyrac tugged on his hair until he obligingly leaned on his shoulder. "There was someone... kind of." 

"And?" Courfeyrac encouraged. 

"I slept with him." The secret hadn't been burning him alive the same way it had five months ago, but the words dragged up all the old feelings again. 

Courfeyrac's silence was astonished. "A one-night stand? You?" 

"Shut up." Enjolras tried to make it light, but his voice cracked. He swallowed. 

"Well, what then?" Courfeyrac persisted. "Did he not want..." 

"In the morning," he said, "I asked if we could pretend it hadn't happened. And he said, 'If that's what you want.'"

"Oh, Enjolras," Courfeyrac said. "Is that what you want?" 

"Not anymore," he said. "I want..." 

Another hesitation. "Is he... one of nous amis?" 

"Yes." Enjolras forced the words out. "Not anyone you have personal interest in." 

"That doesn't leave too many," Courfeyrac joked. "And Joly, Bossuet, and Musichetta's relationship isn't open." His voice grew more serious. 

Enjolras tried to sit up, but when Courfeyrac didn't let go he covered his face in his hands. 

"That makes it a little more complicated," Courfeyrac said carefully, "if I'm right in who I think we're talking about. Not Feuilly. You know he's not interested." 

Enjolras resisted the impulse to leap for the door. 

"Because," Courfeyrac continued, "R's slept with a fair few, but I think a ding-dong-ditch from you would be different." He started twisting the strands of hair through his fingers again. "You like him?" 

"Yes." Enjolras hated that he'd started this conversation. 

"You would date him?" 

"Yes." 

"And you're attracted to him. Christ, Enjolras, you don't pick the easy ones." Courfeyrac considered for a minute. "Go for it," he said. 

"Really?" Enjolras asked with a hint of hope. 

"What's the worst that could happen? He says no?" Courfeyrac laughed at his own question. 

"How?" he asked. "How do I ask him?" 

"Politely," Courfeyrac suggested, with a humor to his tone that suggested he was done being serious. "Maybe, 'hey there, hottie, so I realize I totally pulled a douche move on you, but I was wondering if you wanted to spend some non-platonic adult time together?'" 

"I am not saying that," Enjolras said flatly. "I'll figure it out." 

"Well, let me know," Courfeyrac said. 

Enjolras proceeded to spend the whole week as a writhing ball of anxiety. Eventually he gave up on being able to make his voice work and sent a text. 

_Hey can you stay after the meeting_

_sure,_ Grantaire sent back. 

Enjolras managed to kick everyone out with subtle and not-so-subtle hints. Grantaire waited and then wandered up once Joly had finally raised his eyebrows at the blatant suggestion that he leave and done so. 

"What's up?" he asked. 

Enjolras abruptly found himself frozen again. 

"Enjolras?" Grantaire prompted, now sounding a little concerned. 

He unfroze his tongue. "I talked to Courfeyrac," he blurted out. 

Grantaire sent him a cautious look. "Yes?" 

"No, I didn't mean to say that." Enjolras could feel the flusteredness all the way in his feet. "I meant, um." 

Grantaire sighed and pushed his bag up higher on his shoulder. "Alright, let me hear it." 

"What?" Enjolras was briefly confused. "You're not in trouble or anything. I just wanted to talk to you." 

"Okay?" Grantaire tried. 

"I was wondering if you'd want to go on a date." Enjolras turned bright red. "A real date. Not. A sex thing." He was definitely going to start babbling. He didn't babble often. Only if someone called him out unexpectedly. Usually Combeferre. He bit his tongue and waited. 

Grantaire rocked back on his heels and stared at him for a solid thirty seconds in dead silence. 

"Give me three good reasons to say yes," he said finally. 

Enjolras blinked at him. "Why?" 

"Because I would like to be convinced that dating you isn't a terrible idea," Grantaire told him. "And that you won't decide that I'm a mistake again." 

Enjolras tried to fish up a decent reason. "Because we already annoy each other enough to be able to get over it?" he tried. "Because... because I spent the last five months obsessing over whether or not we'd work out?" 

Grantaire was still staring at him pointedly, waiting. 

"Because..." He gave up. "I'd really like it if you said yes." 

"Hm," Grantaire said. "What makes you think I tolerate you enough to say yes?" 

The heat had gone down from his face, but it returned in full force at the memories the question triggered. (He'd had bruises all week.) "I mean, you did sleep with me." 

"Oh my god, sex does not a relationship make," Grantaire said with an eye roll. "They weren't kidding when they said you were bad at relationships." 

"Who's  _they_?" Enjolras asked suspiciously. 

Grantaire laughed. "I'll see you around, angel." 

The door shut behind him before Enjolras processed that he was leaving. "Wait," he said belatedly. Then he pulled out his phone.  _Was that a no,_ he texted. 

_That was a yes_ , Grantaire sent back. Then:  _obviously <3_

Enjolras reread the message. Then again before putting his phone away and headed out. He made it down the block before he registered that he was smiling. 

**Author's Note:**

> fun fact I accidentally wrote "you need some aire" at some point in my les mis career, ha ha wow what a great pun.
> 
> (instead of air, it's "aire" which is the phonetic of R, get it please laugh with me.)


End file.
